Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Heart of England Co-op endorses Volumatic CCi

Heart of England Co-op endorses Volumatic CCi

To combat forged banknotes and loss of internal stock while prioritising customer service, Heart of England Co-op sought to invest in technology that would ensure their processes were as efficient and cost-effective as possible.

As a result, the group partnered with Volumatic for a solution to increase their cash handling efficiency and reduce the number of forged notes coming through the business, and a system that would support both their colleagues and customers.


Volumatic recommended their all-in-one CounterCache intelligent (CCi) solution which validates, counts and securely stores banknotes. The group also invested in Volumatic’s steel floor mounts to house their CCi devices at POS, adding an additional level of security.

Realising this solution could do everything they wanted, they rolled out the CCi, plus its powerful CashView Enterprise reporting software to all of their 38 stores across the Midlands, and it has made a significant impact on the business.

Combating forged notes

Like all retailers, Heart of England Co-op was concerned about forged notes entering the business and with the CCi’s capabilities as a banknote checker, it is now possible for them to accurately check every note and eliminate forgeries.

The CCi has passed the Bank of England's Framework Test for banknote machines, which means it will reject all known forgeries in current circulation. Consequently, with the Volumatic CCi solution in place, Heart of England Co-op has seen the benefit of fully validated notes and a dramatic reduction in forgeries since the rollout.

No more manual till counts

The CCi significantly reduces manual counting and allows for cash to be counted, bundled and banked with minimum fuss and less errors, saving Heart of England Co-op store managers on average 3.2 hours per store per week.

Till shortages have been minimised thanks to thorough validation and full audit trails, and real-time reporting provided by its CashView Enterprise software. This allows stores to set up quickly every morning and also supports a faster close-down, helping ensure colleagues can leave on time.

Reduction in shrinkage

A huge reduction in shrinkage has also been detected as the CCi is essentially a one-touch solution. This means employees only touch the cash once at POS, meaning temptation is minimised and till snatches are also a thing of the past. Colleagues can focus on providing dedicated customer service, confident that banknotes are in safe hands with the CCi.

"The CCi is now embedded into all our Heart of England stores. It looks neat, works effectively, cuts down our cash handling times and allows us to put that time to better use," said Beverley Cartwright, Head of Internal Audit at Heart of England Co-op.

"We no longer suffer from criminals trying to pass forged notes to our cashiers. It also gives us greater control over our cash holding without the need to visit stores or disrupt store colleagues away from their day job.

"I would recommend Volumatic to other businesses looking to make this important investment.”

Mike Severs, Sales & Marketing Director at Volumatic, added: “We are delighted to work with Heart of England Co-op to offer them a reliable cash handling solution with our CCi solution. They have seen fantastic results since rolling it out to their stores. In today’s difficult retail climate, the CCi really makes Heart of England Co-op more efficient, more secure and saves them money.”

More for you

UK economy unexpectedly shrinks in January

A file photo of Buns and Buns restaurant in Covent Garden Market, London. Sectors like accommodation and food services are expected to be hit hard by higher living wage and employer national insurance contributions in April.

Photo: iStock

UK economy unexpectedly shrinks in January in blow to government

Britain's economy unexpectedly shrank in January, official data showed Friday, piling more pressure on the Labour government ahead of its Spring Statement on the economy.

Gross domestic product contracted 0.1 per cent in the month after GDP rose 0.4 per cent in December, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trump threatens tariffs on European wine and spirits in response to a European Union plan to impose tariffs on American whiskey

Barrels of bourbon are stacked in a barrel house at the Jim Beam Distillery on February 17, 2020 in Clermont, Kentucky.

Photo by Bryan Woolston/Getty Images

Trump threatens 200 per cent tariff on European alcohol

US president Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to slap a 200 per cent tariff on wine, cognac and other alcohol imports from Europe, opening a new front in a global trade war that has roiled financial markets and raised recession fears.

Stocks fell on the news, as investors worried that Trump would enact stiffer trade barriers around the world's largest consumer market. The S&P 500 finished the day more than 10 per cent below its record high reached last month, confirming the benchmark index for US stocks is in a correction.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gloucestershire Trading Standards underage test purchase operation

Products containing corrosive substances sold to minors by Gloucestershire shops

Photo: Gloucestershire County Council

Eight out of 10 Gloucestershire shops found selling corrosives to minors

An undercover operation by Gloucestershire Trading Standards has found most shops in the county selling products containing corrosive substances to underage buyers.

In total, 10 stores were visited and eight made sales to underage volunteers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Paul Bacon appointed as NewstrAid Operations Manager replacing Tom Rodger

Paul Bacon joins NewstrAid as Operations Manager

NewstrAid appoints Paul Bacon as new Operations Manager

Industry charity, NewstrAid, has announced the appointment of Paul Bacon to the role of Operations Manager.

Paul will join the NewstrAid team from 17 March and will take over from Tom Rodger, who is retiring at the end of the month.

Keep ReadingShow less
 ATM machine
Brits pull out nearly £80bn from LINK ATMs in 2024
Photo: iStock

Uneven transition: Where cash still clings on in Britain

The UK’s transition away from cash continues to accelerate, nearly five years after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released today by LINK, the UK's cash access and ATM network.

While the trend towards a low-cash society is clear, the pace of this shift varies significantly across the country, indicating a complex and evolving payment landscape.

Keep ReadingShow less